Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Philippians 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I John 5:13-14 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
One of the absolute hardest parts of my job as a nurse practitioner is delivering bad news to a patient. It may be a suspicious mass on a CT scan, critically abnormal labs, or confirmation of cancer on pathology. Delivering this type of news is always so hard to do, but one thing that makes it a bit easier is prayer. When I receive the news, before I impart any of the information to the patient, I pray over it. Yep, I’ve told y’all before that I talk to God all day long. There’s this thing called HIPAA so I can’t and won’t discuss patient personal information with others, but thankfully, God is excluded from that and I can talk to him all day long! So yes, I go to God on the behalf of the patient, but also for myself. I ask God to give me the right words when delivering the news and the strength and grace to do so. Then, I talk to the patient, pray with the patient, and even cry with the patient.
I’ve been asked many times, “Is there any hope?” That, my friends, is an easy one to answer. There is ALWAYS hope in Jesus! In my many years of practice, I have seen many miracles. I have witnessed patients surviving from terminal illness, but I have also watch as one slowly declined from terminal illness. No matter the outcome, there is still hope in eternal life if you have Christ. The hope lies in Christ, not in the illness.
I could share so many stories, but I have one fond memory than comes to mind this morning. A patient whom I didn’t really know was having some female issues. She hadn’t had a Pap in many years, and after the work up was complete, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer with metastasis. I talked to her as I have done many times before and shared the hope of Jesus with her. I didn’t see her again for about 3 years. She came in for a visit and told me that she wanted to thank me. She said that it was because of our conversation that day 3 years ago that she became a christian. She hadn’t known Christ before then, but she does now. She said that everything changed for her that day. She was filled with hope and love and joy and peace!
There is eternal hope in Christ. We may not want to dwell on it, Peeps, but unless Jesus comes soon, we are all going to die. When I was younger, I fretted about that. I even prayed telling God all of the things I needed to do before I died. I laugh at myself now. I know that God has a plan for me, and I know that my time is already recorded, but I live knowing that when I die life is going to be unimaginable with my heavenly Father! That is hope eternal! If you don’t have that assurance, get you some of that! It’s better than Allstate, State Farm, Farm Bureau or Liberty Mutual all tied up in one! If you want to talk about it, I’m a pretty good listener despite my wordy self! Message me! I love you, Peeps! Live your life with eternal hope! There is no better peace!
Inspirations from the Funny Farm 